A Blessing Amidst Chaos

When you're leaving home for a month you plan. You plan what you'll pack and what you'll do. You plan for who'll fill in for you while you're gone. You plan to not receive your mail, newspaper and bills. You return library books and make arrangements for pets. You clean your house and clean out the fridge. What you don't plan for is losing your wallet just hours before leaving town.

The day we were leaving we had just a few things left to do: swim lessons in the morning followed by a stop at the library, then a little cleaning. It appeared we were on schedule to leave as planned that afternoon. I never would have guessed how opening my car door for Emme to drop our books in the return slot at the library would throw my afternoon into chaos. When the door was opened, my wallet was kicked out and left behind. It wasn't until hours later after a second visit to the pool and library, the canceling of all my cards, ordering of an express driver's licence, and the saying of a family prayer that the library called.

In a large family, leaving town is always a bit chaotic and you're nearly always behind schedule, but that afternoon proved to be even more so than anticipated. As we pulled up to my mom's house the next morning as the sun rose over the mountains, we new that the time spent on the loss and recovery of the wallet was not a waste. Our kids learned a valuable lessons that day. They learned that Heavenly Father answers prayers. They would also soon learn another valuable lesson, the reason for cleaning out the fridge before leaving town.

Barf Bag Anyone?

The cues have gotten easier to read. It always begins with a cough. A cough followed by gagging and then finally the pivotal moment, the spewing of the contents of an overly snack laden, upset stomach. We came prepared this time though with cue in mind, spare clothes at hand, barf bags within arms reach, and a dog to clean up the mess. When you are prepared there's nothing to fear. Right?

We were still plenty fearful, but when the coughing started Ryan didn't hesitate. We were immediately at the side of the road with Chloe stripped from her seat and thrown over Ryan's arm. A moment later, settled back into our drive, Ryan and I smiled at each other. We had outsmarted the nuisance of so many of our past travels. It would be left behind, not traveling with us to our next stop until the next borrowed washing machine would rid us of its smell. We left it just outside Wickenberg, Arizona and we were all elated. Well everyone but the dog.

The Summer of Reunions

When the weather starts to warm up in Phoenix and the thermometer consistently reads over 100 degrees, Phoenicians scatter. They go to California or their cabins in nearby mountains. Anywhere the weather isn't so oppressive. For a month or two in the summer the city is pretty quiet. So naturally, we followed suit and headed out of town for the month of July.

For us, it was a month of reunions. Reunions with our med-school friends, residency friends, and the Huffman and Derrick families. People with whom we share so many memories. People we love dearly. It's was a great summer!

Easter Hunt

Easter morning is just plain fun. Who wouldn't like looking for candy filled Easter Eggs and filling a basket with treats? The tradition of the hunt is often more enjoyable than the spoils themselves. The search for Easter baskets is a particular highlight in our family as it not only holds the obligatory marshmallow Easter bunny in it, but a special surprise picked out for each child. While the kids proved to be good seekers this year, the parents did not fare so well.

After the candy was collected and breakfast was eaten, we loaded everyone in the van for 9:00 a.m. church. It was then we noticed one of our little chickies was not with us. We searched the house, the backyard, and even began walking through the neighborhood. Five minutes is my limit. After five I begin to worry. Ten minutes is my breaking point. Thankfully not too far into the ten minutes Ryan found our little Easter surprise hidden in the laundry room. Hadley had climbed into the dirty clothes hamper and piled clothes over the top of herself. How Ryan thought to look there was a definite Easter Miracle.

Perhaps hiding things on Easter is not such a great tradition after all.

Great Expectations

A year ago, our move to Arizona held with it a promising future and great expectations. While Ryan looked forward to a new job and finally beginning his career, Braden and I had our own hopes for what was to come. For Braden, it was the Grand Canyon. For me, wearing sandals at Easter. While wearing sandals at Easter seems a small thing in comparison to the grandeur of the Grand Canyon or a job twelve years in the making, to me it is all about the underlying significance. Sandals at Easter means no more spring flowers dredged in snow; no more tiptoeing through slush in open-toe pumps; no more winters in April and May.

It was then with some excitement that Easter weekend we headed north for the Grand Canyon. Our short 3 1/2 hour drive was full of anticipation and speculation, though plagued with car sickness as we didn't even make it out of the valley before our first incident. Nothing could dampen the moment though when the six of us peered over the railing for our first look at the infamous canyon. I think Emme said it best when she said, "It looks just like a picture way out there."

Taking two two-year-olds to a steep-sided canyon that drops 6000 feet was a bit unnerving to say the least, so it was not long after that we piled back in the van for the next leg of our trip. Thankfully we were headed just an hour away to Flagstaff where our friends the Tullis' live because our car, a car seat, and a couple days worth of toddler clothes were in need of a good steam cleaning.
Other highlights of our trip: hiking down to a waterfall near Flagstaff; sliding down a natural 80-foot water slide in Sedona; and sledding. Yes, sledding. The kids were thrilled to wake up Saturday morning to find snow. We left the mid-west only to find snow on Easter in Arizona. We have been teaching Emmry a new word... ironic. Yes, I would say it was ironic. But strangely, the snow did not dishearten me despite my great expectations for Easter this year. In a way, at someone else's home in someone else's town, the snow helped us to feel at home.

Congrats Braden!

Ask Braden if he likes school and he will tell you what you would expect from any forth-grade boy. Ask him the classic question, "How was school today?" and he is as equally unenthusiastic. But he isn't fooling us. His achievements speak otherwise. During second quarter, he wrote a poem that his class voted one of three to represent them in a school contest. He has recently been placed in his school's prestigious Lynx Club for outstanding academic achievement for third quarter. And he has now preceded to reach his reading goal for forth quarter in one week thanks to Percy Jackson.

I understand that a ten-year-old boy has an image to maintain, but I don't believe for one minute that this over-achieving boy hates school.

Staying Happy, Come What May

I recently read some advice from Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of our church.

He said, "The way we react to adversity can be a major factor in how happy and successful we can be in life." He advised us to learn to laugh.

It was with this council that I approached my day yesterday. With no problems in the morning, I hit mid-day with a triumphant stride... a stride that ran me right into two two-year-olds covered in chocolate. How they pulled those fudge bars from the freezer I am not sure, but they are crafty. And when one can't figure it out, the other one is sure to.

Deep breathe. Genuine laugh.

A bit later Braden asked me why there was chocolate all over the couch.

Deep breathe. Laugh.

Next the dog was found with chocolate drippings.

Deeper breathe. Forced laugh.

I was wiping up the couch when I noticed water running. Quick calculation. How long had that been going? Too long. There was one girl in the tub acting as receiver, the other making deliveries... blankets, dolls, beach towels, dress ups.

Deep breathe, deeper breathe. Smirk.

So I spent a bit of time wringing out some things in the sink before I rounded the corner to the girls' bedroom. What are the brown puddles on the carpet? Chocolate.

Deep breathe with a smack on the end. Grimace. Good thing I have plenty of wet towels.

After twenty minutes on my hands and knees I think I have managed the crisis quite well. The melted fudge bars have been cleaned from every surface, except the dog (Sorry Nell!), and the wet items have been put in the washing machine. I have reacted to my adversity well. Elder Wirthlin would be proud.

But wait, on the kitchen floor is a corner of a chocolate chip bag and a pair of scissors. Now not everyone would have the eye and experience to know that those two things equal trouble, but I have been highly trained by the best.

It did not take long before I found my sweeties outside on the trampoline with not one, but two opened bags of chocolate chips.

Sigh. Get the camera. Maybe I'll laugh later.

Elder Wirthlin must not have had twins.